CCRA Background Information

The Championship Car Racing Association was founded in 1967 as a response to the growing split between the front-engine roadsters that were the mainstay in American open wheel racing and rear-engine formula cars coming over from Europe that began to dominate competition. In the interest of fairness, the CCRA was formed as a way to split the two series, with the European formula adopted by all competitors wishing to compete in the Indianapolis 500 and the series in which it belonged. The roadsters found a new home on the short tracks of the Midwest, and the CCRA began growing ever popular, with the European formula pushing speeds higher and higher over the decades. Champ Car racing grew to have an international flavor in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and that trend continues today with a series, the CCRA KX Energy IndyCar Series, featuring diversity both in the driver lineup and in the schedule.